


If Charles Lee Had Been A Cheater, Too...

by Hamiltalian



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-26
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-02-04 17:52:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18609529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hamiltalian/pseuds/Hamiltalian
Summary: What would happen if Lee let his cowardice turn him into a cheater?





	1. Chapter 1

General Charles Lee had decided he was man enough to insult the great General George Washington. John Laurens decided to put that to the test, challenging Lee to a duel.

The event took place on a hot, early morning, before anybody else was awake, as per tradition. Laurens stood across the field from Lee with his second, his close friend Alexander Hamilton.  

“Are you worried?” Hamilton asked as Laurens loaded his pistol.

“Please,” Laurens sneered. “He’s a coward. Nothing more, nothing less. He’d sooner empty his bladder on this field than he would his pistol.”

Hamilton laughed at that and moved to meet Lee’s second, Aaron Burr, in the middle of the field.

“This is his last chance, Hamilton,” Burr warned. “This is childish. Have your man call it off.”

Hamilton scoffed. “Why should he? He isn’t afraid for a second of that joke of a general,” he informed him, making sure to speak loud enough for Lee to hear.

Burr sighed and solemnly nodded before going back to his place at Lee’s side. “Good luck.”

“Thank you..” Lee muttered, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. Laurens was a man of pride. Lee had this as good as won.

As the men began their paces, Lee actually wore a smirk, a knowing grin. It was as if he knew the outcome of the duel and only came back to live it out.

“1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9-” Laurens was cut off as he cried out in pain, feeling a bullet tear through the skin at his waist. The second he fell to his knee, Hamilton was at his side, reaching for the pistol himself.

“That dirty little-”

“No!” Laurens argued. “Tell him I want another shot.”

Hamilton’s eyes widened. “But you’re-”

“I want another shot,” Laurens said, more sternly this time.

Hamilton sighed and stood up, turning towards Lee and Burr to give them the news. Instead, he was interrupted by the sound of a horse approaching. General Washington’s horse.

“What is the meaning of this?” the General demanded, jumping off his horse.

Hamilton jumped to his feet, Laurens painfully doing the same.

Washington’s eyes widened a bit at the sight of Laurens and his injury and he went over, helping the colonel back to the horse and glancing at the doctor that attended their duel - a new recruit, as most were during duels. “This is one of our best men. Make sure he gets the proper attention,” the General commanded.

“Yes sir,” the doctor agreed, taking Laurens to the medical tent.

Washington looked at the three remaining men with a stern look, making his way to Lee first. “Lee, while I know you and I will never agree on much, I hope that you know these men do not speak for me. Having said that, I think it would be for the best if you stepped down from your position as a general and as a soldier.”

Lee glared harshly. “You treat that child like he’s better than me, even after giving me the title I have now. I have seniority, I have done nothing wrong, but if it means taking no more orders from the likes of hypocrites such as yourself, I will gladly leave.” He spat at the general’s feet before walking away.

Washington looked at Burr next, the disappointment in his eyes beginning the conversation. “Burr, I never expected to see you participating in such matters. Friend or not, I know deep down, you knew you shouldn’t be here with Lee. I’ll let it slide, but do not let it happen again.”

“Yes, sir..” Burr muttered.

“Go see how Colonel Laurens is fairing. Report his condition to me immediately.”

Burr nodded before running off to do as he was told, leaving Hamilton and Washington alone.

“Sir, he-”

“I don’t want to hear another word from you. This war is hard enough without soldiers fighting amongst themselves, especially those as highly respected as you and Laurens.”

“He disrespected your name and spat at you! What made you think that coward was fit to be general?!”

“Years of seniority, son.”

“I’m not your son,” Hamilton muttered.

“And I am not a maiden in need of defending, I can take what they throw at me. You will never learn to do the same unless you grow up.”

Hamilton clenched his fists at his sides. “I learn from experience. If you gave me some kind of power, a battalion, I could-”

“With behavior like this?” Washington asked, almost shocked that Hamilton could think of something so ridiculous. Almost. “Until you grow up, son, you’ll never get to-”

“I am not your son!” Hamilton snapped. “And maybe if you stopped thinking of us as such, Laurens wouldn’t have felt so compelled to protect your honor. Maybe Laurens wouldn’t have been shot.”

The silence that hung in the air quickly grew heavy, suffocating both men. But neither dared to break it. Not for a minute or so, until Washington knew exactly what he had to say.

“You’re dismissed, Hamilton.”

Alexander began walking away. “I’m going to see John.”

“No,” Washington called back. “No, you’re dismissed as a soldier. We can use all the help we get, but with an attitude like yours, you’ll do nothing but hurt us for now.”

Hamilton felt his heart drop. “Let me see John first. Please..”

“I said no and that’s an order, Hamilton. Pack your things and leave,” Washington said sternly. Leaving without knowing the condition of John would kill Alexander and Washington knew it. It was the kind of wake up call he needed to see that running a battalion, that having the lives of these men in his hands, was no joke. Washington turned and went back to camp, finding Burr in front of the medical tent.

“He’s lost quite a bit of blood, but the doctor believes he’ll make it. We were able to feed him and give him water, but for now, he’s unconscious.”  
Washington nodded. “Thank you. I want you and Lafayette to see to it that Hamilton stays out of this tent. He needs to learn a lesson and this is the only way I can think to teach it to him.”

“Yes sir.”

“Good. I’ll call Lafayette over.”

Burr nodded and, not a few minutes later, Lafayette was at his side, guilt evident on his face as they stood, prepared to keep his friends apart.

“Laurens is alright, yes?” Lafayette asked.

“Yes. He’ll be fine, but an order is an order and we have to keep Hamilton out.”

Lafayette nodded and sighed, knowing that this was going to be difficult.

Alexander went to his tent and packed his things, leaving a letter on his bed addressed to John before leaving. He saw Burr and Lafayette - he knew he wasn’t getting past them, but he also knew no soldier would dare read a private letter. So, he left, taking a carriage back home to his wife, the second love of his life.


	2. Chapter 2

John Laurens groaned softly as he woke up, spending his first few conscious moments since his duel with Charles Lee in a familiar pain. The last thing he remembered was riding General Washington’s horse to the nursing tent… And now, he was hearing the same General’s voice in a harsh whisper not too far, seemingly in an argument. 

An argument with Lafayette, John figured as he heard the French accent amongst their whispering. 

“You need him back! You know how close we are to winning this war, but we need more help! I did all I could to get us French assistance, now you need to admit that we need him.”

“Lafayette, I know, Alexander would make a great general, but-”

“You’ve seen him on the battlefield. I don’t care how childish he may behave off of it, he’s an amazing soldier. And we both know he’s not the only soldier who you stress over. Both John Laurens and even myself have done worse than participate in a duel and you’ve given us little more than a stern talking to.” With both of them having such a low sense of self preservation, what kind of general wouldn’t worry about them? 

Washington sighed. “I don’t want him near Laurens. Something about that boy makes him lose all sense and even you can’t deny that.”

John finally decided to speak up. “Then send me away.” 

Both men looked over, shocked as Laurens sat up and spoke once again. 

“John! You’re okay!” Lafayette cheered, running to his side. “How are you-”

“We can discuss my health later.” He looked up at Washington. “If your only condition for letting Alexander back in the war is a separation between the two of us, send me away. Hell, I was the one who participated in the duel. Alexander merely served as my second. Send me back to South Carolina, if you truly insist on separating us.” 

Washington sighed heavily. “Very well.. Now, if you gentlemen will excuse me, I have some letters to write.” 

The first letter, he wrote for Laurens to take with him back to his home state. A letter calling for the delegates of South Carolina to finally allow John to form the black battalion that he’d called for many times before. John was a good soldier and an even better man. He deserved nothing less. 

Second, Washington wrote a letter asking for Hamilton’s return to the battlefield. He let him know how close they were to winning, how he could be the one last grain of rice they needed to tip the scale in their favor. He let Hamilton know how needed his presence was. 

And before he knew it, Alexander was back. 

It was a hot October day as Hamilton rode back into the battlefield. 

Before he went to see the general, though, he looked for his dear Laurens. The first place he checked was his tent, of course. John was usually up and ready even after a gunshot, as many as he’d taken during his time in battle. Hamilton chuckled to himself at the thought. John always was such a stubborn man, too stubborn to leave a battle even when he was shot. Alexander knew it’d be the death of him one day, when Alexander wasn’t around to keep him from getting himself killed. 

Hamilton’s smile fell as he looked inside of what was once their shared tent, finding the belongings of two different soldiers in it. 

Strange… He was sure this was where they’d stayed.. He backed out of the tent before he could get himself into any more trouble, bumping into a broad chest as he did. 

“Alexander! It’s great to see you again, mon ami!” Lafayette cheered as he threw his arm around him. “I’m so glad you agreed to return. We have no chance of winning this war without your brilliant mind.” 

Hamilton chuckled dryly. “Almost as great as your own, I remember you saying.. Where’s John?”

Lafayette’s smile fell. He knew he’d eventually have to break the news, but not so soon.. “He’s not here.. John’s been transferred back to South Carolina.”

“What?!” Alexander demanded, turning to face the Frenchman. “You have to be joking!” 

Lafayette sighed, shaking his head. “I’m afraid I’m not.. General Washington felt you would perform better without him here to distract you. John overheard and insisted that he was transferred, if it meant you could come back to the war..”

“John..” Alexander muttered to himself, looking away from Lafayette. 

“Don’t be so down.. Once the war’s over, you can invite him back. Spend some time with him back home,” Lafayette reassured. “It’ll be okay.” 

The tiniest smile began to spread over Alexander’s face. Lafayette was right… He could spend a night with John where they could share body heat only for the comfort of each other’s presence, rather than to survive the harsh winters. He could admit his love for John and not worry about it being the last. He could introduce John to his soon to be born son and the amazing wife who kept Alexander company when John couldn’t. Maybe it was for the better.. “Where’s the general?”

Lafayette smiled and lead the way. 

It was less than a month later when the two friends said their final goodbyes, as Lafayette went to his home in France and Alexander to his home in New York, the war finally won. 

Alexander wasn’t too focused on that. Not quite yet. He was focused on thinking about what kind of response he would get on his latest letter to John. 

Unfortunately, circumstances forced him to put that aside as soon as he got home. At least they weren’t particularly bad. His law career was flourishing, he was elected to the Continental Congress. It wouldn’t give him the same satisfaction as John’s love, but it sure as hell kept him busy. So busy, in fact, that he’d almost forgotten about the letter when his wife brought it back to the center of his attention. 

“Alexander, there’s a letter for you from South Carolina,” she said softly. 

He smiled widely, but continued to face his work, not wanting his wife to grow envious over such a thing. “It’s from John Laurens.. I’ll read it later.” Later, when he could give it all of his attention. 

“No.. It’s from his father..”

Alexander’s smile wavered. “His father?.. Will you read it to me?” He heard his wife’s footsteps behind him and saw her through his peripheral vision, grabbing a letter opener and opening the envelope, reading from the parchment inside. 

“Alexander..” she muttered after a second. “This doesn’t make sense..”

“What… What does it say?..”

“‘As my son returns to me, I feel I must write this letter to tell you what I know. Thinking him dead upon the arrival of your last letter, I read it myself to figure out an appropriate response, but I soon found that no response would be appropriate to such blasphemy. It took me days to decide what to write and I’ve finally decided on thanking you. John has never been right when it came to love and now that you have made it clear to me that my earlier attempts have failed, I have had time to prepare another way to correct my son. My preacher has opened my eyes to the only way of destroying this piece of the devil from inside of him, so as much as it weighs down my heart, he will be executed upon his arrival home. I also read in your letter how truly you love your own wife, so I congratulate you in finding the correct path and will not speak of the mistakes you’ve made. May God bless you. Henry Laurens.’”

Alexander was sobbing by the end, unable to stop the cries from shaking his body and wrecking his soul. 

Elizabeth frowned and put her hands on his shoulders. “I’m so sorry, Alexander..” As much as she wanted to question the contents of that letter, question her husband’s loyalty, she knew this wasn’t the time. He was grieving, the sounds of his sobs only interrupted by the sound of a knock over at their front door. 

Elizabeth quietly excused herself and let Alexander grieve on his own as she answered the door, shocked by the man who met her there. 

“Hello, Mrs Hamilton. Is.. Is Alexander home?..”

“Y.. Yes.. Yes, please come in.” She showed the man up to her husband’s office. “Alexander, there’s someone who you must see,” she insisted. 

“Please, Betsey.. I’m already occupied with my work,” he stated, voice void of emotion. 

“Just turn around… Please?..”

Alexander sighed and put his quill down, doing as his wife asked and turning around, his eyes going wide as he did. “No.. It can’t be..”

“I’m here, Alex..” 

Alexander jumped to his feet and threw himself into the arms of John Laurens, sobbing against his chest. “I thought you were dead!” 

John smiled sadly, shedding a few tears of his own, and kissed the top of Alexander’s head. “As soon as my father began speaking about his past efforts to correct me, I ran. I ran out of the house and I ran until he couldn’t find me, then I came here.. But I promise not to overstay my visit,” he remarked, glancing over at Eliza. 

Eliza shook her head. “Nonsense. You are to stay as long as you feel safe and welcome.” It was painful to think that her husband loved anyone else as he claimed to love her, but she was not a cruel woman. The way the two embraced each other, the way they cried over each other, Elizabeth knew she’d have to be a monster to tear them apart. 

Alexander smiled through his tears and released his embrace on John to go and hold his wife. “Eliza.. Please, don’t think this changes how I feel about you. I know it’s unusual, more than unusual, but I love you just as intensely as I do John. If you can find it in your heart to forgive me, I’d love the privilege of still calling myself your husband and your love.” 

And, charming as Alexander knew he was, it was impossible for Eliza to stay upset with him. “Thank you.. While this is a side of you that I’ve never known, I do know you to be trustworthy and passionate and loyal, even if apparently not monogamous. Your love for me has never wavered and I trust you when you say that this won’t affect that.“

He smiled and placed a quick, but meaningful kiss on her lips. He felt like the luckiest man in the world, being allowed to live with both his soulmate and his other half. And he would’ve been lying to himself if he said it wasn’t all thanks to Eliza. “Best of wives and best of women..”


End file.
